


i lost the kid

by twrlvepercent



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Gen, Parent Tony Stark, Steve Rogers Feels, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-15 20:39:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18677011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twrlvepercent/pseuds/twrlvepercent
Summary: steve asks tony about the kid he lost





	i lost the kid

**Author's Note:**

> warning for minor endgame spoilers

Steve wasn’t paying attention to the flashing colors on screen. He knew this was an important part to the movie, a climactic fight scene that’d surely influence the ending, but he hadn’t been paying attention anyway so what did it matter? His mind still raced through the changes the past week had wrought, Tony’s reappearance that flipped the whole compound.

 

When the ship had touched down and Tony had stumbled off, Steve didn’t know what to say. They hadn’t spoken since the dividing events of Siberia. All he could do was place a supporting hand on Tony’s back, making sure he didn’t pitch over at a moments notice. 

 

Tony spoke in a pained breath. “I lost the kid.”

 

Steve had dismissed his words as the effects of the little food, water, and sleep he had gotten. When did Tony have a kid anyway? He could tell that he was wrong, though, by the intense grief, shock, and anguish that Tony’s tear-glazed stare held.

 

Then he was gone, whisked inside to medical. Then, a week later, Tony was closer to the one Steve knew. He wasn’t there completely—his snark was lazy and he was, shockingly, quieter—but after how he had seen Tony off that spaceship, Steve figured that he might not ever be the same. 

 

A blast from a gun on screen brought him out of his thoughts. Steve blinked, zoning out again. With a low sigh, he looked over at Tony.

 

Tony had his back against the fabric of the couch so that he was facing the screen, one leg stretched across the length of the couch and the other drawn closer to his chest. His arm rested on his raised knee, fingers curling at the open air beneath them. Under his breath, Tony seemed to quote every line.

 

With that, Steve noticed just how much had changed since he and Tony last spoke. Tony’s sharp defense rounded off to softer edges. He was more open, trusting.

 

“Can I ask you something, Tony?”

 

Tony didn’t take his eyes off the screen, watching as someone swerved to avoid a shot. “Sure.”

 

“When you came off the ship, you said something about losing a kid.” Tony’s hand went still. “Now, forgive me if I’m mistaken but I don’t recall meeting a little Stark.”

 

Tony shook his head. “Not a little Stark, no.”

 

“A Potts, then?”

 

“A Parker.” Steve replied only in silence as he racked his mind for any even brief mention of the name. Tony lazily glanced over his shoulder at Steve. “Peter Parker. He wasn’t mine.”

 

Steve felt awkward, intrusive. “He sounds like a great kid. I would’ve loved to meet him.”

 

“You did.” Tony breathed deeply. “You dropped a jetway on him.”

 

A red and blue puzzle piece clicked in his memory. 

 

_ “Where you from, kid?” _

 

_ “Queens,” he grunted. _

 

_ Steve smirked. “Brooklyn.” _

 

“Oh,” was all he could say. What was there to say? His head pounded with unanswered questions, each he could barely form. He opened his mouth ro speak, to ease the building headache but shut it when he saw the tears pooling in Tony’s eyes.

 

“This,” Tony cleared his throat, “This is the movie he got the idea of taking down your guy from. The tall one.”

 

Steve turned his attention back to the screen as a clunky robot collapsed to the ground. “Smart kid.”

 

“Smarter than me.”

 

Steve gave a sad smile. Electric sound effects filtered through the large, loud speakers on either side of the flat screen.

 

“If I knew this was Star Trek I would’ve paid more attention,” Steve laughed.

 

“Star Wars.” The correction was almost a reflex on the tip of Tony’s tongue.”I can, um, restart it if you want.”

 

Steve waved him off. “No, it’s okay. I know you don’t like repetition.”

 

“I don’t mind.”

 

That kid—Peter Parker, Spider-Man—left an obvious impact on Tony, far greater than Steve even thought possible.

 

Steve could nearly see an entranced Spider-Man underneath Tony’s flexing fingertips. He realized that was probably a common scene for the two—common enough for Tony to be doing despite the absence of the kid.

 

Tony reached for the remote to start the movie over. The Star Wars theme filled words unsaid. His gaze flashed down at his hand sadly.

 

Steve’s face softened. “We’re going to get him back, you know.”

 

He nodded solemnly and looked back at Steve with shining eyes. "I hope so."

 

A few minutes into the movie, Steve noticed that Tony had stopped watching it. He stared past the screen and at a picture hung loosely on the wall.

 

Later, Steve would see the picture as he passed by.

 

Peter’s tacky Christmas sweater was too long. It stretched past his hand, dangling. Tony stood next to him, smiling, holding the tree topper just out of Peter’s reach. Maybe Peter was a Parker but in Tony’s teary eyes, he was a Stark.

**Author's Note:**

> come yell at me on tumblr @twrlvepercent and share!
> 
> love you 3000


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